


Between The Desert and the Dark Sea

by Lancre_witch



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett, MediEvil (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, contains mild spoilers for the Discworld Death series, post-canon for Discworld, pre-canon for MediEvil, takes place in the MediEvil: Resurrection timeline/universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:28:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29632557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lancre_witch/pseuds/Lancre_witch
Summary: Not long after Zarok returns, the Boat Man seeks out an old friend and some advice.Written for a prompt from a friend: "Death from Discworld meets Mr. Death from MediEvil, philosophical shenanigans occur while they exchange anecdotes about their job."
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Between The Desert and the Dark Sea

**Author's Note:**

> While this is Resurrection's Mr Death, I decided to call him the Boat Man purely for increased readability so there aren't two people called Death talking back and forth.

Two men stood on a dock at the edge of the world, under stars no mortal ship would ever sail by. Behind them rolled silver sand dunes, leading to the mountains of judgement, which all souls must one day climb. Before them was nothing but an endless sea.

It was impossible to say how long they had stood in silence. There is no time in the land between lives.

Eventually one of the beings spoke. He has been known by many names over the millennia, some kinder than others. Let us call him the Boat Man. “It’s been a long time.”

IT HAS.

“How has your world been treating you? Well?”

The Death of the Discworld had never been one for small talk, but he made an attempt. MY GRANDDAUGHTER HAS FOUND HERSELF A YOUNG MAN.

“That’s nice.”

AND THIS ONE ISN’T SO INCONVENIENTLY MORTAL.

The Boat Man nodded. He understood. Along the jetty, his boat bobbed on the waves which came with no man’s tide.

DID YOU EVER FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MELLOWMEDE?

“Aside from it sinking? No. But I’ll find the souls one day and bring them home.”

There should be sea birds, the Boat Man thought. But nothing broke the silence until he asked, “And your pet project? Rincewind?”

STILL DEFYING ALL THE ODDS AND THE LAWS OF MORTALITY. There was an exasperated fondness to his tone where years before there had been baffled anger.

“Laws,” The Boat Man echoed. “I understand you have a history with those who keep them.”

Deep within his cowl, Death’s eyes glowed red for a moment. YES, he intoned.

“About the rules...” He left the sentence hanging like the noose around his neck.

The other man didn’t turn. YES. THERE ARE ALWAYS THE RULES.

“I know that, Bill Door. I want to know how you broke them.”

Death winced a little at hearing that name, now dead and buried as Renata. I DID NOT, he said in a voice that would have made small things die out in the world.

The Boat Man tapped his fingers against his scythe. “Zarok isn’t bound by them. Azrael’s laws are for reapers, not for mortals. You know how it was last time, and it’s only going to get worse. Why I’ve had to invest in a harvesting machine just to keep up.”

Death drew a sharp breath between his teeth, not that he had much choice in the matter.

“I didn’t want to either, but not all of us can rely on family to pick up the slack.”

PERHAPS I DID NOT MAKE MYSELF CLEAR. SUSAN IS MOSTLY HUMAN, AND BARELY BOUND BY HUMAN LAWS. BUT STILL _I_ NEVER BROKE THE RULES.

The gentle waves nudged the small boat against the dock as the Boat Man thought about this. “I suppose it is just spat between mortals. And no one would begrudge me a chat with an old friend.”

BUT, Death said.

“But?”

YES, WE ALL KNOW THERE IS GOING TO BE A BUT.

“Alright, yes. Friend isn’t really the word I would use for the hero that’s risen. _‘Hero.’_ ” He would have spat the word if he had breath. “His soul was the first I took from the battlefield, and even before that he wasn’t exactly a nice man. What if he fails? What if he doesn’t even try?”

Death shrugged. TIME CHANGES PEOPLE. OUR ALBERT WAS NOT A NICE MAN. HE WAS A POWERFUL WIZARD AND A KILLER WITHOUT REMORSE, BUT TWO THOUSAND YEARS ON, HE IS AS MUCH A PART OF MY FAMILY AS MY OWN GRANDDAUGHTER.

“But will a century be enough? He doesn’t have an army to lead him into battle now.”

Death paused as he replayed that sentence in his head. I THINK YOU MAY HAVE GOT THAT LAST PART THE WRONG WAY AROUND.

“I’m sorry to say that I didn’t.”

OH.

“Yes.”

More time passed. The silent footsteps of the dead continued behind them on a journey the two men could never follow.

YOU KNOW, Death said eventually, THE DEATH OF RATS IS STILL FINDING THE RAVEN TO BE A USEFUL INTERPRETER. AND OF COURSE COMPANIONSHIP IS SO VERY IMPORTANT TO SOCIAL ANIMALS.

“I don’t think a dead man would appreciate me sending a carrion bird to follow him-” The Boat Man stopped. “Of course, there’s always _him_...”

HMM?

“Zarok unwittingly sent me a little ‘gift’ some time ago, when he tried to kill a djinn.”

Death nodded. COLLECTING IMMORTALS IS ALWAYS TRICKY.

“Especially this one. Zarok bound him to death, trapped him in his own magic...” he trailed off, lost in thought again.

“Thank you, you’ve been very helpful. Take care, old friend, and my regards to young Susan.”

Death inclined his head. WE WILL MEET AGAIN. UNTIL THEN.

He waved his hand and a black door appeared in the empty air. Another backward glance and he stepped through it into the bright world beyond.

The Boat Man turned away as the door crumbled again into nothingness and unmoored his boat. He set the prow to face the past and set out towards Gallowmere.

When the sight of the shore vanished, far faster than it should have done in normal space, the Boat Man plucked the lamp from the prow of his boat and opened the little grilled door.

“Al-Zalam,” he said to the amorphous light within, “I do believe I’ve found a way for you to earn your freedom.”


End file.
